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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, foldable everyday pair for music, podcasts and calls on a USB-C phone, tablet or laptop, choose Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK; if you need a work headset with a boom mic, flip-to-mute and plug-and-play USB-C/USB-A connectivity for Teams and Zoom, choose Kensington H950.
• Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK — biggest strength: a genuinely portable, lightweight on-ear design (111 g) with folding housings, in-line media controls and a USB-C plug that just works with iOS and Android.
• Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK — biggest trade-off: no boom microphone and no noise control, so it's built for casual listening and phone calls, not for meetings in a noisy room.
• Kensington H950 — biggest strength: it's a proper work headset — ENC boom mic, flip-to-mute, in-line controls and both USB-C and USB-A covered via the included adapter on a 6 ft cable.
• Kensington H950 — biggest trade-off: it's a desk/office tool. No folding housings, no battery or wireless mode, and it's the heavier, bulkier thing to throw in a bag.
• Who each is for: the Audio-Technica is for commuters, students and casual listeners who want one USB-C pair for everything; the Kensington is for people who live on Teams and Zoom calls and want to mute with a flick.
The ATH-S120C-BK is a wired on-ear headphone with a USB-C connector, and that single design decision shapes everything about it. There's no battery to manage, no pairing, no dongle anxiety — you plug it into a USB-C port and you're listening. Audio-Technica has been building audio gear since 1962, and this model reads like a straightforward extension of that: a dynamic driver tuned across a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range, 35 ohm impedance and 103 dB sensitivity, which is the kind of spec sheet that tells you it's meant to be driven easily by a phone, tablet or laptop rather than by a dedicated amp.
What it does best is everyday listening. The in-line mic and controls cover play/pause, track skipping, volume and answering or ending calls, so you never have to pull your phone out of a pocket. At 111 g with a compact, lightweight build, it's the sort of headphone you forget you're wearing during a long podcast binge or a movie on a tablet. And the housings fold flat, which matters more than people admit — flat-folding on-ears slide into a bag pocket instead of fighting for space.
Kensington H950: Who It's For
The H950 is not really a music headphone that happens to take calls — it's a communications tool. Kensington built it around the parts of a workday that actually cause friction. The environmental noise-cancelling boom microphone reduces background noise so your voice lands clearly even in a busy room, and the flip-to-mute function lets you kill the mic instantly by rotating it upward. That's the feature people underestimate until they've fumbled for a mute button mid-sentence. The in-line controller handles volume, call management, playback and supported voice assistant features without touching your device.
Connectivity is the other half of the story. It's plug-and-play over USB-C, and Kensington includes a USB-A adapter so the same headset works on older laptops and docking stations. The cable runs 6 ft (1.8 m), which is the difference between sitting naturally at your desk and yanking the headset off your head when you lean back. The H950 is also certified for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, so the platform integration is expected to behave rather than surprise you.
Comfort is handled by an adjustable headband and soft on-ear cushions — the materials are plastic, fabric and foam, and the design brief is clearly "wear it for a full shift." Who should buy it: remote and hybrid workers, call-centre-adjacent roles, anyone whose calendar is mostly meetings. Who should skip it: if you mainly want to listen to albums on a train, this is the wrong shape of product. It doesn't fold, it's tethered to your desk by a long cable, and it isn't designed as a portable music companion.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for music and podcasts → Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK. A dynamic driver with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range and 103 dB sensitivity is tuned for casual listening; the Kensington is tuned for voice.
• Best for quick muting → Kensington H950. Flip-to-mute beats hunting for a software button every time.
• Best for portability → Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK. 111 g and flat-folding housings versus a non-folding desk headset.
• Best for device flexibility → Kensington H950. USB-C plus an included USB-A adapter covers modern laptops and older ports; the Audio-Technica is USB-C only.
• Best for cable freedom at a desk → Kensington H950. A 6 ft cable lets you move without unplugging.
• Best for simplicity → Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK. No boom arm, no mute mechanism, no adapter — plug in and go.
• Best for phone-first users → Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK. It's explicitly compatible with iOS and Android devices and the in-line controls handle calls.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Kensington H950 — but only because of the job I'd be buying it for. In my opinion, the ENC boom mic, flip-to-mute and USB-C/USB-A flexibility make it the more capable tool for anyone who spends their day on calls, and those are features you can't work around if they're missing. That said, if your listening is mostly music, podcasts and the odd phone call, I'd take the Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK instead: it's lighter, it folds flat, and it does the everyday job without dragging a boom arm around. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit — the right answer here is the one that matches your day, not the spec sheet.
how to fit on ear headphones
On-ear models rest on the outside of your ear rather than around it, so the fit is about the headband and cushion placement. Slide the headband so the cushions sit flat against your ears without pressing hard, and adjust each side evenly. The Kensington H950 has an adjustable headband for exactly this; on the Audio-Technica, the lightweight 111 g build and compact housings do most of the comfort work.
how to clean on ear headphones
Wipe the cushions and plastic housing with a soft, slightly damp cloth, and keep liquids away from the drivers and any ports or mic openings. For the H950, pay attention to the boom mic and the flip-to-mute hinge, since debris there affects the mechanism. For the ATH-S120C-BK, clean around the USB-C plug and the in-line controller without pulling on the cable.
how to open ear headphones
Most on-ear models don't "open" in a traditional sense — you wear them as they come. The Audio-Technica ATH-S120C-BK does fold flat at the housings for storage, which is the closest thing to an open position here; the Kensington H950 is a fixed, non-folding design. Don't force either past its intended movement, and check the manufacturer's guidance if a part feels stuck.
how to ear headphones
If you mean getting them onto your ears properly: put them on with the cushions centred over each ear and the cable hanging on the side you prefer, then adjust the headband for a light, even seal. The ATH-S120C-BK's in-line controls should sit where your hand naturally falls, and the H950's boom mic should sit near the corner of your mouth for the ENC mic to work as intended.
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